- - While - Apollos - was at Corinth , Paul passed through the interior ... (and) came to Ephesus. (There) he found some disciples
and asked - them , “ vvv Did you receive (the) Holy Spirit when you became believers ?” “ No , ” (they answered) ... ... ... , “ vvv we have not even heard that there is (a) Holy Spirit. ”
“ Into what , then , were you baptized ? ” - (Paul) asked. “ - The baptism of John - , ” - - they replied.
- Paul explained : “ John -’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the (One) coming after him , that is , in - Jesus. ”
- On hearing this , they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus.
And (when) - Paul laid (his) hands on them , the - Holy Spirit came upon them , and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.
- There were about twelve - men in all.
Then (Paul) went into the synagogue (and) spoke boldly (there) for three months , arguing - persuasively - about the kingdom - of God.
But when some of them stubbornly - refused to believe vvv vvv (and) publicly maligned the Way , (Paul) took (his) disciples (and) left ... (the synagogue) to conduct daily discussions ... ... in the lecture hall of Tyrannus.
- This continued for two years , so that everyone who lived in (the province of) Asia , Jews and Greeks alike , heard the word of the Lord.
- - God did vvv vvv extraordinary miracles through the hands of Paul ,
so that even handkerchiefs and aprons vvv vvv vvv that had touched him were taken to the sick , and the diseases - and - - evil spirits left ... them.
Now (there were) some itinerant Jewish - exorcists - who tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those with - evil - spirits. They would say , “ I bind you (by) Jesus , whom Paul proclaims. ”
- Seven sons vvv of Sceva , a Jewish chief priest , were doing this.
Eventually , (one of) the - evil spirits answered ... them - , - “ Jesus I know , and I know about - Paul , but who are you ? ”
Then the man - with ... the - evil spirit jumped on them (and) overpowered them all. The attack ... ... was so violent that they ran out of - the house naked and wounded.
- This became known to all the - Jews and Greeks living - in Ephesus , and fear came over all of them. (So) the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honor.
Many who had believed now came forward , confessing and disclosing - their deeds.
And a number of those who had practiced - magic arts brought (their) books (and) burned (them) in front of everyone. (When) the value of (the books) was calculated , - (the total came to) fifty thousand ... drachmas.
So the word of the Lord vvv powerfully continued to spread and prevail.
- After these things had happened , - Paul resolved in the Spirit to go to Jerusalem after he had passed through - Macedonia and Achaia. “ After I - have been there , ” he said , “ - I must see Rome as well. ”
- He sent two of his helpers , Timothy - and Erastus , to - Macedonia , (while) he stayed for a time in - (the province of) Asia.
- About that - time there arose vvv a great disturbance about the Way.
( It began with) a silversmith named Demetrius who made silver shrines of Artemis , bringing vvv much business to the craftsmen.
vvv (Demetrius) assembled (the craftsmen) , along with the workmen in related trades. “ Men , ” he said , “ you know that - this - business is our (source of) prosperity.
And you can see and hear that not only in Ephesus , but in nearly the whole - (province of) Asia , - - Paul has persuaded a great number of people to turn away. He says that - man-made (gods) ... ... are no gods (at all).
- (There is) danger not only (that) - our business will fall into disrepute , but also (that) the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be discredited ... ... and - her - majesty - deposed — (she) who is worshiped - by all ( the province of ) Asia and the (whole) world. ”
(When) (the men) heard (this) , - they were vvv enraged (and) began shouting ... , “ Great (is) - Artemis of (the) Ephesians - ! ”
(Soon) the whole city vvv was in disarray. - They rushed together into the theatre , dragging with (them) Gaius and Aristarchus , Paul’s traveling companions from Macedonia.
- Paul wanted to go before ... the assembly , (but) the disciples vvv would not allow him.
- Even some of (Paul’s) friends who were officials of (the province of) Asia sent word to him , begging him not to venture - into the theatre.
Meanwhile ... ... the assembly was in turmoil. Some were shouting one thing (and some another) , and - most (of them) vvv did not (even) know why ... they were there.
- The Jews in the crowd pushed - Alexander {forward} to explain himself , and - (he) motioned for silence ... ... so he could make (his) defense to the people.
But when they realized that he was a Jew , they all shouted in unison ... ... ... ... for about two hours - : “ Great (is) - Artemis of (the) Ephesians - ! ”
Finally the city clerk quieted the crowd (and) declared , “ Men (of) Ephesus , - doesn’t ... (everyone) ... know that the city of Ephesus is guardian of the temple of the great Artemis and of (her image) , which fell from heaven ?
Since these things are undeniable , you vvv ought to be calm and vvv not do anything rash.
For you have brought these - men {here} , (though they have) neither robbed (our) temple nor blasphemed our - goddess.
So if - Demetrius and vvv vvv his fellow craftsmen have a complaint against anyone , (the) courts are open and proconsuls are available. Let them bring charges against one another ( there ).
But if you are seeking anything beyond this , it must be settled in a legal assembly.
For vvv we are in jeopardy of being charged with rioting for - today’s (events) , vvv vvv vvv (and) we have ... no justification ... to account for this - commotion. ”